


Pain of a Different Kind

by arianapeterson19



Series: Avengers Shorts [31]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Aura - Freeform, Avengers Family, Awesome Phil Coulson, Cuddling & Snuggling, Headaches & Migraines, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nick Fury is Not Amused, Pain, Protective Avengers, Protective Phil Coulson, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-02-16
Packaged: 2018-05-20 22:36:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6027901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arianapeterson19/pseuds/arianapeterson19
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No, Fury, Tony is not trying to leave debrief because he is bored.</p><p>OR</p><p>The one where Tony gets a migraine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pain of a Different Kind

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ParkerStark](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ParkerStark/gifts).



It started towards the end of the battle. Tony was flying around, doing his Iron Man thing, when he noticed it. It wasn’t much and to most people it was nothing at all, but to him he saw it and he knew that no matter what happened, they needed to wrap up the battle quickly or he would be done for the day.

It was just a small spot of not-quite light to the side of one eye. It was like someone had taken a picture and the flash was imprinted in his sight only instead of fading it stayed and grew. Slowly, that spot took over the rest of his vision until the only way he could see was if he wasn’t looking directly at what he wanted to look at. It wasn’t painful, it was just annoying and the larger that spot got the more Tony knew that he was done. That aura was the only warning he got before the blinding pain of a migraine set in and if he didn’t take his medicine right at the start of the aura then there was nothing he could do to help the pain. Even if he did catch it right away it was a fifty-fifty shot as to if it would help.

The battle ended and Tony followed the others to debrief, convincing himself that because he still couldn’t see properly he had time to do debrief before the pain set it. As long as his vision was impaired then he would experience pain – just the frustration and anticipation of not being able to rely on sight and knowing that pain was coming next. And if he skipped debrief then Fury and Steve would yell at him again and Tony couldn’t take that during a migraine.

Seventeen minutes into the debrief Tony blinked and noticed the consuming spot shrinking rapidly. His vision was returning but he knew he had minutes left before the pain took hold. Minutes to make his escape and hope to find a dark, quiet place to lay down and die because he had waited too long to hope to fly the suit home safely.

“Where do you think you’re going?” demanded Fury, glaring at Tony as the billionaire stood up.

“Nature calls,” said Tony with a shrug.

“You are not that bored,” snapped Fury. “Sit your ass back down. You can go when we’re finished.”

Tony rolled his eyes, noting the even smaller patch of not-quite light was almost gone completely but sat back down. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again. 

His vision was fully restored but the lights were too bright. The pain didn’t ease into being either, it simply took over the moment Tony could see properly again. Even breathing hurt. Tony slammed his eyes shut ducked his head, and yanked at his own hair in a vain attempt to reduce some of the pressure building in his skull. It did nothing but it did prove to garner some attention from the rest of the room – mainly his overly observant boyfriend who had been watching him closely for several minutes.

“I’m taking Tony home,” announced Phil Coulson, standing up and making his way towards his lover. “Steve can catch us up later.”

“No,” growled Fury, his voice climbing in volume. “You agreed when you started dating Stark that you wouldn’t give him special treatment. He is sitting through debrief no matter how bored he is and that’s final.”

“Shut up,” said Phil, covering Tony’s ears with his own hands and allowing the genius to shove his face into Phil’s stomach to help block out the light. “Tony has a migraine and your yelling isn’t helping matters. I wouldn’t make any of the Avengers sit through a debrief if they were in such pain that they can’t even concentrate. So yes, I’m taking Tony home now and if you try to stop me I will inform Ms. Potts and Colonel Rhodes that you kept Tony here knowing he was suffering.”

Fury blinked and Phil nodded before turning his attention to his boyfriend.

“I know,” said Phil softly, stroking Tony’s hair lightly with one hand. “Just keep your eyes closed, sweetheart. I’m taking you home where you can crawl in bed.”

Tony whimpered vaguely when Phil stood him up but his eyes remained clenched shut and had followed Phil willingly out of the room, to the jet, and back to the Tower. When they arrived at the Tower, Phil managed to get Tony to their shared bedroom.

Tony curled into a ball, head pounding, stomach rolling, small, pathetic little noises escaping from him as the pain continued on. Cutting his own head off with a pair of rusty kitchen scissors would have been less painful. He just wanted it to stop.

“Here we go,” said Phil, sitting next to Tony and pulling the billionaire until Tony’s head was on Phil’s lap.

The agent placed a warm cloth on the back of Tony’s neck and rested his other hand on Tony’s forehead. The lights were out, the windows blacked, and the only sound came from Tony himself when the pain became too much. Phil hated seeing his lover like that and not being able to do much more than make Tony comfortable but he’d be damned if he left the genius alone to suffer; Tony had done enough of that during his life.

Bruce entered the room silently to check on Tony.

“Does he have medicine he should take?” asked Bruce so softly it was barely audible.

“Won’t help now,” said Phil just as quietly. “It only sometimes helps if he takes it right away.”

“Where’s the bottle kept?” asked Bruce. “I’m going to make a note and add it to the supplies for missions. Also probably place a few bottles around the Tower just in case.”

“In the bathroom. JARVIS and show you.”

Bruce nodded and left to search for the medicine. Phil smiled down at Tony – who was doing his best to keep breathing – and couldn’t help but think about how far the team had come from the first battle together. And as much as they all argued, Phil knew that just like him, something about Tony had drawn the others in and made them want to take care of their resident billionaire. Phil almost felt sorry for Fury, having left him with several master assassins and a pissed off super soldier, but then Tony gave another whimper of pain and those feelings went away.

**Author's Note:**

> I love pairing Tony with people!! It's fun for me. 
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


End file.
